Google today gave its Chromebook lineup a boost with new devices from Chinese manufacturers Haier and Hisense, but also teased two new innovative Chrome OS gadgets coming soon from Asus.
The Asus Chromebook Flip is an all-metal convertible Chromebook that will sell for $249 when it arrives this spring. It sports a 10.1-inch IPS touch-screen display that flips around for things like gaming and apps, Google said.
The Flip, which weighs in at less than 2 pounds, runs a Rockchip 3288 with 2GB of RAM and 16GB eMMC or Rockchip 3288 with 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD, as well as an ARM Mali 760 quad-core GPU. It supports 802.11ac, 2.4 and 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.0, and more. Google promised up to 10 hours of battery life.
For something even smaller, the Asus Chromebit (above) is a full computer for under $100 that is "smaller than a candy bar," Google said.
"By simply plugging this device into any display, you can turn it into a computer," Google engineer Katie Roberts-Hoffman wrote in a blog post.
The device, arriving this summer, runs a Rockchip 3288 with 2GB of RAM and 16GB eMMC and an ARM Mali 760 quad-core GPU. It supports USB 2.0 and HDMI, as well as 802.11ac, 2.4 and 5GHz, and Bluetooth 4.0.
Arriving today, meanwhile, are the Haier Chromebook 11 and Hisense Chromebook. The Haier device will be sold via Amazon, while Walmart.com will carry the Hisense Chromebook. Both are available for pre-order today for $149.
The Haier Chromebook 11 sports an 11.6-inch display and runs a Rockchip 3288 with 2GB of RAM and 16GB eMMC, as well as an ARM Mali 760 quad-core GPU. It has two USB 2.0 Standard A ports and HDMI, and 720p camera. It supports 802.11ac, 2.4 and 5GHz, and Bluetooth 4.0, and Google promised up to 10 hours of battery life.
An 11E version adds a removable battery and includes a full-size SD card reader rather than uSD.
The Hisense Chromebook has similar specs to the Haier device, though its battery life is at 8.5 hours.
For more, see PCMag's roundup of The Best Chromebooks.